1

In a new initiative aimed at ensuring that nationaldocuments and specifications reflect best practice in thedesign, construction and maintenance of bituminousroads, Sabita has embarked on a campaign to review andupdate both national and the association’s ownpublications ranging from test methods to its own bestpractice guideline documents. Part of this initiative willbe funded out of funds generated from CAPSAconferences.

“Sabita has always held the view that these documents, such as the seriesof Technical Recommendations forHighways (TRH), TechnicalMethods for Highways (TMH),national specifications and industryguidelines and manuals not onlyform the basis for sound engineeringpractice aimed at the optimalprovision and maintenance of ourroad network, but also for theprofessional advancement of newentrants to the industry” Sabita CEOTrevor Distin said. “That many ofthese documents languish in a stateof obsolescence is unacceptable tothe bituminous products industry,and Sabita has undertaken to investfunds in ensuring, wherever possible, that up-to-date information on bestpractice is available to practitioners.

Sabita’s investment is being directed at a revision of the test methods relevant to bituminous products, ascontained in TMH1 and other publications. Thisdocument, which was last updated in 1986 and nolonger reflects current best practice, is currently beingreviewed by the Materials Testing Committee ofCOTO.

“This will be a mammoth task, but a vital one if we areto ensure that reliable and accuratetest methods are in place to measureand control the quality of our products,” Distin said. “Thisinitiative has the strong support ofSabita’s membership, as it nowallows the private sector to havedirect input into the review processunder SABS, from which it waspreviously excluded. We arecurrently reviewing the test methodsfor hot mix asphalt and comparingthem with those of recognisedinternational standards bodies likeASTM”.

Additional test methods to bereviewed for compliance with theSouth African National Standards(SANS) format include the relevantmodified binder test methods in TG1,and the tests required to calibrate a

Volume 21 Issue 2 August 2007

3 Use of RAP in hot mix asphalt4 LCEP focus on cost of maintaining gravel roads6 COSHEC launches BitSafe first aid kit and DVD7 Specifications for modified binders/cutbacks

IN THIS ISSUE

Sabita initiative to update best practiceguidelines gathers momentum

Sabita Manual 2: Bituminousbinders for road construction

and maintenance Continued Þ

binder distributor (TMH2). It is important to note thatSANS accreditation requires, inter alia, that all testmethods comply with a recognised standards authority,which is not currently the case for most of our industrytests.

Sabita will be funding the upgrading of its REACT –Economic analysis of short term rehabilitation actionssoftware for inclusion in the revised TRH12 manual. The original software was written in DOS language forSabita Manual 16, and will be upgraded to Windows.This software is a vital tool for engineers to analyse theimpact of carrying out timeous pavement maintenanceand rehabilitation actions on aged blacktop roads. Sabita is not a specifying authority and therefore doesnot publish specifications, but will focus on developingbest practice guidelines. Thus Sabita, in association withthe Asphalt Academy (AsAc), will be publishing asecond edition of TG1: Technical guidelines: The use ofmodified binders in road construction, which has beenunder revision since 2006 when the Road PavementsForum (RPF) reconvened its modified binders taskgroup. Designed to ensure the optimal utilisation ofmodified binders in South Africa, the revised content ofTG1 is described more fully elsewhere in this issue ofAsphalt News (see page 7).

As far asSabita’s ownmanuals areconcerned weare happy toreport on theprogress asfollows. Arevised andupdated editionof Sabita’sManual 22: Hotmix paving inadverseweather, waspublished inMay and hasbeenworkshopped bySAT in CapeTown, Pretoriaand Durban.

Manual 2: Bituminous products for road constructionand maintenance, Manual 5: Manufacture andconstruction of hot mix asphalt, and Manual 19:Technical guidelines for the requirements and design ofbitumen rubber asphalt wearing courses are all nowunder revision and will be published in the second halfof 2007. Further guidelines, including Manual 27:Design and use of slurry seals, and Manual 28: Thedesign and construction of thin asphalt wearing coursesare currently under preparation for publication early in2008.

Sabita has alsoundertaken tomake all itsrevised manuals available in aCD format tobona fideengineeringstudents atuniversities and universities oftechnology atno cost as partof an effort toreverse thedepletion ofskills in thebituminous products industry.

“The bituminous products industry remains concernedabout the lack of commitment from the NationalDepartment of Transport to take responsibility forupdating national standards and codes of practice,”Distin said. “Given this state of affairs, it is gratifying tonote the industry’s willingness to underwrite Sabita’sproactive and ongoing initiative – in partnership withroad authorities and agencies wherever possible – toensure that those documents which have a majorinfluence on the performance of bituminous products are up to date and reflect best practice.”

Lastly, Sabita will be converting its old videos to DVDformat to ensure that much of the information vital to the maintenance of global pavement engineering standards is more readily accessible to our industry. q

2

Sabita Manual 22: Hot mixpaving in adverse weather

Students' CD

Sabita's new DVD series

DVD100 Testing of bituminous products • Penetration bitumen tests • Bitumen emulsion tests • Hot mix asphalt tests • Bitumen rubber tests

DVD200 Repair of black top roads • Training guide for the repair and

maintenance of black top roads

DVD300 Hot mix asphalt • Manufacture, paving and

compaction of HMA

DVD400 Health, Safety and Environmental Conservation

DVD410 BitSafe - The safe handling of bitumen DVD420 Treatment of bitumen burns

The recent decision to include a specialty session on theuse of recycled asphalt pavements (RAP) in themanufacture of hot mix asphalt in the CAPSA’07programme, and the hosting by the Society for AsphaltTechnology (SAT) of three seminars beforehand,highlights the new focus of South Africa’s bituminousproducts industry on the importance of optimumutilisation of aggregates, fuel, bitumen and roadauthority budgets.

As a lead-in to the specialty session, SAT held a seriesof nationwide seminars in July and August 2007,following from an industry request which resulted in Resolution #7 taken at the Road Pavements Forum(RPF) held in May 2007 (see page 5).

“The use of RAP in the manufacture of HMA in SouthAfrica is a logical step forward in the optimal utilisationof resources – a recognition which has already ensuredthat this technology is standard practice in the UnitedStates, Europe and elsewhere,” according to TrevorDistin, CEO of Sabita. “The increasing cost of bitumenand aggregates, linked to the recognition that therecycling of waste materials in HMA has never beenfully exploited (80% ofRAP generated in the US isrecycled), prompted theRPF to challenge theindustry to question whyroad authorities have notspecified the use of RAP inany major recycling projects over in the past ten years.After all, it makes sense that these authorities utilise thematerials they already ownin the interests of costefficiency and optimalusage of public funds.”

Consulting engineersfeatured in the SATprogramme examined andexplained the risks associated with the use of differentpercentages of RAP, and its impact on the performanceof HMA. Chris Lange, an industry plant expert, outlinedthe constraints limiting the percentage of RAP for thedifferent asphalt plant configurations, and specialconditions associated with the milling, stockpiling andprocessing of the RAP prior to inclusion in the HMAmixes.

Speaking before the SAT workshops, Distin said Sabitabelieved the incorporation of 20% RAP as "blackaggregate" in new HMA was achievable withoutexposing the clients to major risks, and that Sabita would

facilitate the development of protocols to make thispossible.

The specialty session at CAPSA’07, to be run in parallelwith other sessions on Wednesday 5 September, willfocus on global perspectives to assist the local industryin developing a protocol making the use of RAPobligatory wherever possible. HMA experts have beeninvited from Australia, Europe and the United States tomake presentations on the status of the use of RAP inHMA.

Distin said an important element in the process ofgaining more widespread acceptance of the principles ofrecycling will be to expose local clients to overseasexperience to eliminate misconceptions about the quality and durability of RAP mixes. He added that the fallacyof any negative perceptions about the viability andquality of HMA mixes incorporating RAP was recentlyspelled out in a presentation to the National AsphaltPavement Association (NAPA) in Las Vegas by DanGallagher, vice-president of a prominent Americanconstruction company.

“One of themisconceptions that hasalways bothered me isthat mixes with RAP areseen by many as inferiorto mixes with virginmaterials. The contractorneeds to take control ofthe incoming materials,use good processingprocedures, and controlthe RAP well. He must use sound mix design, goodquality control, and goodpaving practices. If hedoes all this, then there isno reason that the roadsbuilt with RAP would notbe the equal of roads built

with virgin materials,” Gallagher said.

He added that with a mix containing 25% RAP, thesavings on a typical surface mix would be about $6 perton, with the cost of bitumen at $410 per ton.

“Coupled with increasing costs and the high demand fornon-renewable materials, industry’s commitment toreducing its carbon footprint through energy savings,and pressure on infrastructure budgets, it makes goodsense to seriously examine the advantages of RAP inorder to make hot mix asphalt a more sustainable andcost efficient road building material." r

3

Sustainable practice: The use of recycled asphaltpavements (RAP) in hot mix asphalt

RAP crushing and screening plant

The City of Tshwane (CoT) would save more than 50% on its annual road maintenance budget if its 2 265km ofgravel roads were surfaced.

Highlighting the unsound economics of ignoring thebenefits of low volume surfaced roads, Chief EngineerJan Henning told delegates to Sabita’s second LocalCouncillor Empowerment Programme (LCEP) seminarthat the city was experiencing a budget shortfall of morethan R23-million a year in maintaining its gravel roadnetwork.

The seminar, attended by more than 90 local councillors, engineers and members of the Mayoral PortfolioCommittee on Public Works and InfrastructureDevelopment, was held in Tshwane on 24 May 2007.

“Tshwane experiences maintenance challenges similar to those of any local authority, including those of keepingsurfaced roads in a serviceable condition, providing afunctional gravel road network, and striking a balancebetween the allocation of maintenance funds for both,”Henning said.

“Given that gravel roads impact most heavily on qualityof life – dust, mud, bad riding quality, danger throughpoor visibility and slippery conditions, and high roaduser costs – and on budgets through high maintenance

costs and theannual loss of 130000m3 of gravel,the need tore-examine theoption ofsurfacing can nolonger beignored.”

He added that theCoT had achievedsignificant success in surfacingselected sectionsof gravel roadsusing single seals,double seals, andsingle seals plus slurry.

These initiatives, in addition to the accessibility benefits, had both created employment and provided opportunityfor emerging contractors.

“However, the surfacing of low volume roads cannotexist in isolation, and such work must be considered interms of the protective measures required if these roads

are to have an economiclifespan. Havingencountered defects andproblems such as edgebreaks, small potholes,mechanical damage, and cracking after surfacinglow volume roads, itmakes no economicsense to continue thisprocess withoutadditional measures tominimise futureproblems,” he said.

Henning said that on asample of 93km ofgravel roads surfacedsince 2002, the CoT hadachieved savings of:

• R3.3-million onblading;

• R3.6-million ofgravel wearingcourse preserved (32 000m3);

4

Maintenance of Tshwane's gravel roadsis no longer a cost-effective option

CoT Chief EngineerJohan Henning

Maintenance costs for gravel and surfaced roads

Continued Þ

• improved quality of life for those living alongside these roads.

“At current funding levels it will take more than 75 years to eradicate our backlog on gravel roads, at a minimumcost of R1.8-billion, and the only logical recommen-dations are that we undertake to surface all low volumeroads whenever gravelling is required, that additionalfunding be allocated to support this initiative, that theinstallation of side drains, edge beams and stormwaterdrainage be part of the package, and that routinemaintenance be integral to the whole process,” he added.

Other presenters included Fani Xaba (Africon: Functions of a road), Dr Danie Wium (Africon: IntegratedMaintenance Framework for infrastructure) and DeonPagel (Tarfix: Road maintenance options andtechniques).

The seminar, which included displays by five Sabitamembers of products, services and processes available to the bituminous products industry, included a livelydiscussion session chaired by MMC Subesh Pillay,which underlined the value of roads and roadmaintenance to the delegates. Responses to an evaluation form circulated to attendants highlighted, inter alia, thevalue of the seminar in fostering an understanding ofbudgets in relation to infrastructure provision, theimportance of timely maintenance, the processesinvolved in road construction, and the role ofinfrastructure in social and economic development.

Further LCEP seminars are planned for Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni, Ethekwini and Nelson Mandela Metro in the second half of 2007. q

5

Delegates to Sabita's Local CouncillorEmpowerment Programme seminar in Tshwane

One of the exhibits at the LCEP seminar which gave delegatesan understanding of the latest products and processes

Fani Xaba of Africon introduces a "girl child"who attended the seminar. Africon laterannounced the award of a bursary to the

student to study civil engineering

In line with the sharp industry focus on minimising thehazards associated with handling and application ofbituminous products, Sabita’s Centre for OccupationalSafety, Health and Environmental Conservation(COSHEC) is now offering its members a first aid kit for on-site treatment of bitumen burns together with anexplanatory DVD.

Designed as portable first aid kits to be held in readinessin hauliers' vehicles, sprayers and at manufacturing andconstruction sites, the flexible carrying case contains thefull list of first aid medical equipment derived fromSabita’s Manual 8: Guidelines for the safe andresponsible handling of bituminous products. The kitalso includes the familiar green bitumen burns tag forattachment to the patient to provide medical practitioners at hospitals or clinics with more comprehensiveinformation on the treatment of bitumen burns.

The companion DVD, designed to be of assistance toBitSafe trainers, safety officers and first aiders, contains

comprehensiveguidance on thespecific knowledgeneeded to providebitumen burn victimswith the appropriatefirst aid treatment until they can be givenmore sophisticatedmedical attention.The first aid kits andthe DVD have beenmade available toSabita members,BitSafe trainers andthe bituminousproducts industrythrough thesponsorship of:

• BP SA (Pty) Ltd;• Burnshield;• Chevron South Africa (Pty) Ltd;• Engen Petroleum Ltd;• Sasol Oil (Pty) Ltd;• Shell SA Marketing (Pty) Ltd;• Total SA (Pty) Ltd.

Each Sabita member and BitSafe trainer will receive acomplimentary BitSafe first aid kit and Treatment ofbitumen burns DVD, but additional first aid kits can beordered at a price of R200.00. The cost to non-membersis R420.00.

The items contained in the first aid kit are described inthe box below. A 25 litre container of water (minimum)should be kept with the first aid kit for cooling down thepatient’s burnt area.

Sabita’s Manual 8 makes it clear that all personsworking with hot bitumen should be familiar with therecommendations in order to administer first aid to burnvictims. The bitumen burns tag included in the first aidkit should accompany the patient and be placed in aprominent position before the patient is transported to adoctor or hospital. q

6

BitSafe first aid kit

COSHEC launches the BitSafefirst aid kit and DVD on thetreatment of bitumen burns

The BitSafe DVD on the treatment of bitumen burns

Antiseptic solution Antiseptic ointment Burnshield dressings (assorted packs)Burnshield HydrogelBitumen burns tagsCotton buds CPR mouthpiece Elastic bandages Eye pads Eye shields Gauze swabs

Instant cold pack Latex gloves Micropore tape Rescue sheet Safety pins Scissors Sterile eye irrigation solution Triangular bandages Tweezers Wound dressing (No. 3)Wound dressing (No. 5)

Contents of the BitSafe first aid kit

1. Modified binders and TG1:

The second edition of TG1: Technical guidelines for theuse of modified binders in road construction, now beingprepared for publication, will break new ground inproviding the industry with the latest best practiceguidelines for the optimal use of modified binders.

Under revision since 2006 when the Road Pavements Forum(RPF) reconvened its modifiedbinders task group, the secondedition of TG1 has beenexpanded to incorporate awide-ranging overview ofmodified binder technology.This includes, inter alia,cross-references to otherrelevant documents and coversaspects ranging from a strongfocus on occupational healthand safety, through selectioncriteria and constructionpractices, to laboratory testingand protocols for field trials.

"The Modified Binders TaskGroup identified a range ofissues inadequately covered inthe first edition of TG1," SabitaCEO Trevor Distin said. "Andto ensure that the revisedguidelines are aligned with thelatest developments in modifiedbinder technology, the newedition also expands the rangeof modifiers to includerequirements for the use ofnaturally occuring hydrocarbons and FT waxes in HMA, and the requirements for the useof emulsions in microsurfacings and tack coats for ultrathin friction courses (UTFC)."

The section covering occupational health, safety and theenvironment identifies appropriate handling proceduresto minimise hazards during the manufacture andspraying of modified binders.

The document also comprehensively extends itsexamination of the composition and behavioralcharacteristics of modified binders, taking a close lookat:

• homogeneous and non-homogeneous binders;• elasticity;

• cohesion;• adhesion;• ageing and durability; and• the use of cutters and factors affecting the cutting

back of modified binders.

"Binder properties and requirements have been reviewed against past measurements, andrationalised to achieve greaterperformance, and the reviseddocument includes

recommendations onspecifications for fuel-resistantbinders and tests to measure their performance,” Distin said.

He added that an importantaspect of the revision of TG1was that it sought to expand theinformation base available topractitioners in the selection andutilisation of modified bindersfor different applications.

With the bituminous productsindustry’s increasing focus onquality management throughoutthe chain of manufacture,transport, storage andapplication, the section onquality assurance includes athorough examination ofprocedures to maintain qualityduring the heating of hot appliedpolymer modified binders,polymer modified emulsions andbitumen rubber to ensure that the properties of the modified binderdo not change.

"The section on sampling and testing has been expandedto give more guidance on implementing qualityassurance during the storage and handling of binders,and also recommends a protocol for introducing a newbinder through laboratory testing and field trials."

"The publication of TG1 by the Asphalt Academy, willfollow immediately after approval and ratification of thedocument by the RPF," Distin said. "However, Sabitahas undertaken to fund the re-formatting of the modifiedbinder test methods into the SANS format over the nextfew years. The intention is to bring these methods intoline with other international standard tests."

7

Breaking new ground: RPF drives the revision ofspecifications for modified binders and cutbacks

Typical morphology of an elastomericbinder in a seal

Continued Þ

2. Cutback bitumen:

In terms of a Road Pavements Forum (RPF) resolution #6 adopted in May 2007, a task team under theleadership of Johan Muller has undertaken to revise theSANS 308 specification on cutback bitumen.

Identifying the problems associated with the penetrationof cutback bitumen primes on crushed stone bases at ameeting in Pretoria in April, the task team prepared thefollowing proposals for presentation to the RPF:

• Introducing a low viscosity prime which could beapplied at ambient temperature;

• Specifying the viscosity of the cutback bitumen at ambient temperature, i.e. 25

oC and not 60

oC

using the Brookfield viscometer; and• Removing the penetration test requirement on

residue for primes.

The meeting also recommended that SANS 308, whichwas last amended in 1971,be revised to rationalise thenumber of grades, and thatconsideration be given toincluding the specificationfor cutback bitumen stoneprecoating fluid contained in Sabita’s Manual 26: Interimguidelines for primes andstone precoating fluids.

An accepted condition wasthat Sabita declines tosupport the introduction ofany technology that wouldfurther increase the risk ofpollution and/orcompromise worker safety.

The decision to amend SANS 308 arose from problemsassociated with priming of G1 bases using MC30.Complying with an industry directive to avoid the use oftar primes (which have a tradition of use in inland areasto prime dense crushed stone bases) contractors havecomplained that alternative prime products, includinginvert emulsions and MC30 cutback bitumen, lackpenetration and cure too slowly.

Contractors noted that this problem becomes untenablein wet and cold weather, sometimes resulting in a roadhaving to be kept open for seven days before surfacingcould take place. It was noted that coastal contractors had achieved satisfactory performance using invertemulsions and MC30. Solutions proposed included:

• Low viscosity cutbacks: Reducing the viscosityof MC30 by cutting it back further withilluminating paraffin (IP) was standard practiceand such products were readily available,especially for spraying prime by hand as theyrequired no heating. As a comparison, a low

viscosity prime of this type, equivalent to MC10,was included in the Australian nationalspecifications as AMC00.

• Bitumen emulsions: Work in Europe to developmicro-emulsions which facilitate binderpenetration into the substrate could provide asolution to the limitations of normal oil-in-wateremulsions, which coalesce to form a skin on theroad surface and hence reduce penetration.Solutions to the penetration limitations of invertemulsions, especially in colder weather, should be sought.

The meeting made it clear that a major focus of the taskteam would be to ensure the maintenance of globalstandards of worker safety, health and environmentalconservation (HSE), and noted a recent report in anAustroads publication AP-R153 (2000), stating that:

• minimal ozone depletion is associated withbitumen binders;

• heating of cutback bitumen does not releasegreenhouse gasses;

• the evaporation ofhydrocarbons couldcontribute to smogdevelopment in urbanareas, but is notsignificant in ruralareas; and

• The contribution of anyform of bituminousbinder to air pollution or green- house gasemissions is very smallcompared to otherindustries.

However, concern wasexpressed that the use ofcutters presents a fire

hazard as they are handled at temperatures above theirflash point of 38

oC. This would be the case for all MC

grades or invert emulsions cut back with IP, a problemexacerbated by the traditional use of an open flame inthe heating tube.

MC10, by contrast, could be applied at well below itsflash point. From the viewpoints of safety, qualitycontrol and cost, it was preferable that low viscositycutbacks be manufactured at the refineries, which should produce and store at least two grades of cutbacks to meet local demands. The refineries, however, are keen to see a rationalisation of the current plethora of cutback grades,preferring one grade for priming bases (preferably MC10 in winter and MC30 in summer), and another for tackcoat spraying in winter (MC3000).

The meeting concluded that the practice of cutting backMC30 on site should be discouraged, and that Sabitacompile and publish a best practice guideline on the safehandling of cutters. q

8

Priming of a G1 base course

Three seminars, to be held in Cape Town, Pretoria andDurban to launch the second edition of the Sabita'sManual 22: Hot Mix Paving in Adverse Weather, havebeen planned by the Society for Asphalt Technology(SAT) on behalf of Sabita with Julian Wise as the mainpresenter and discussion leader.

Two seminars have already been held in Cape Town andPretoria, and have attracted more than 200 delegates. The seminar in Durban is scheduled for August

"The title of the manual conjures up pictures of pavingasphalt in the rain, and has the peculiar effect of raisingadrenalin levels and blood pressure whenever the topic is debated," Wise said. "This is probably due to the general uncertainty about what actually constitutes adverseweather for asphalt paving, and what are the real risksthat need to be considered and assessed."

Some of the key points made in the presentations are:

1. Adverse weather is cold or windy or wet weather that will: • limit the time necessary to achieve compaction; or• reduce the performance level and design life of

the layer.

2. The risks attached to achieving a satisfactory end product are mainly related to three factors:

• Weather;• Mat thickness - the thicker the mat, the lower the

risk;• Base condition - the firmer the base, the lower the

risk.

Specifications

3. Current specifications do not cover these adequately as they usually talk only about weather, and do not differentiate for mat thickness or base conditions.

4. The major areas of concern are:

• Rapid cooling;• Rapid cooling and wet base;• Rapid cooling and trapped water.

5. Thin mats (defined as 40mm and less) are at the greatest risk, mainly due to rapid cooling.

The manual includessections on:

1. Factors affecting the cooling of asphalt.

2. Recommendations for paving when adverse conditions are predicted. These include:• Minimum base

and airtemperatures fordifferent matthicknesses anddifferent windspeeds;

• Minimum lay-down temperatures for differentmat thicknesses.

3. Techniques for paving when rain occurs while paving.

4. Risk assessment for weather conditions when rain is predicted, including:

• Defining different rain intensities;• Different ambient temperatures and wind speeds;• Different base conditions;• Different mat thicknesses

Compaction window

5. An appendix for estimating the compaction window time available for different thickness, ambient temperatures and wind speeds.

Although adverse weather in Cape Town is often quitedifferent from adverse weather around Johannesburg and Pretoria, it was generally agreed that the manualadequately covered both regions and provided goodguidelines, not only for design and construction staff tounderstand and assess doubtful weather situations, butalso to road authorities for the review of currentspecifications.

It was also agreed that general specifications requiredupdating and that they should differentiate for matthickness and types of bases. q

9

Sabita's revised Manual 22 – A guide forsound practice and realistic specifications

Julian Wise

Many thanks to John Onraët, Graeme MacGregor, Basil Jonsson, Craig Bradley and their SAT teamsfor organising the seminars.

Manual 22 can be ordered through the website www.sabita.co.za at R40 to members and R70 to non-members.

Sabita welcomes the following companies to itsmembership:

MTTC (Pty) Ltd

Materials Testing Training College(Pty) Ltd, was established in 1988,and is situated in Tshwane, Gauteng.Registered with CETA, the company is a certified qualifying micro enterprise and therefore aLevel Four Contributor to BEE procurement at a 100%recognition level.

Three specialised divisions provide the followingsupport services to laboratories in the civil engineeringand building construction materials industry:

• Formal training assistance and assessment oftechnical personnel.

• Laboratory quality systems development andassessment.

• Laboratory equipment calibration services.• Coordinating services for inter-laboratory and

proficiency testing schemes.• Software programmes for laboratory test data

processing.

MTTC (Pty) Ltd utilises its own as well as outsourcedspecialists with combined experiences of more than fiftyyears in the management of both commercial and sitelaboratories, quality systems, execution of apparatuscalibrations and knowledge of the National Qualification Framework (NQF) education system.

Roadmac Surfacing (Pty) Ltd

Roadmac Surfacing (Pty) Ltd (RMS) was establishedin 1997 in Bloemfontein with a staff of 18. Today it isone of the leading surfacing companies in southernAfrica with offices in Johannesburg, Durban, CapeTown and Bloemfontein with a staff compliment of over1200 people.

RMS specialises in the manufacture and laying ofasphalt, chip and spray, surface enrichments and slurryseal. RMS also has a patent for an ultra thin frictioncourse (UTFC ) asphalt called ULM, and is one of theleading applicators of UTFC products.

Roadmac’s fleet of equipment features the latesttechnology, and includes fully equipped in- housemaintenance and servicing facilities in each of the majorcentres, ensuring that projects are completed on time.

This fleet includes five fully mobile asphalt plantsproducing up to 120 tons of premix an hour, 10 chip andspray teams, 14 paving teams and five slurry teams

which enable them to service the total surfacing needs of their numerous clients. The company also boasts fullymobile laboratories for stringent quality control.The RMS portfolio includes the following companies:

• Roadmac Surfacing • Roadmac Surfacing Cape • Phambili Road Surfacing (Kwa-Zulu Natal) • Milling Techniks • National Asphalt

The company’s staff is highly trained through extensivein-house training schemes as well as exposure tospecialised external training, and all are committed to the maintenance of a healthy and safe working environment.

Mdubane EnergyServices (Pty) Ltd

Mdubane Energy Services (Pty) Ltd,established in 2005 in Durban, offers a combination ofhighly diversified managerial experience andpetro-chemical engineering expertise, and exists tocreate an empowerment platform based on principles ofaccountability, value added entrepreneurial growth andskills development.

The company focuses on the supply of bituminous andchemical products, drumming and distribution ofbitumen and chemical materials, and consulting fornewly established SMME companies in roadconstruction and infrastructure development.

Mdubane offers a range of products including bitumenemulsion, cutbacks, stone pre-coating fluids, polymermodified binders and lubricants, and its applicationcapability includes chip and spray, slurry sealing as wellas hot and cold mix asphalt.

Target clients include:

• Local municipalities;• Road construction companies and• Export markets in neighbouring African

countries.

As part of its commitment to provide solutions tocustomer needs, the company:

• seeks to ensure the availability of fuels, oils andlubricants to domestic and commercial userswithin their localities;

• provides opportunities for other emerging smalland medium enterprises to participate in thepetro-chemical industry;

• facilitates the establishment of businesses withpotential for growth in formerly under-servedareas, including rural districts. q

10

Sabita welcomes new members

11

2007

Sept. 2-5 CAPSA'07, Gaberone, Botswana

Sept 17-21 PIARC World Congress, Paris

Oct 21-24 AAPA Pavements Industry ConferenceDockside Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia

Oct 25-26 China Asphalt Summit; Adopting advanced technologies and experiences to achieve sustainable development in China’s asphalt pavements. Millennium Hongqiao Hotel in Shanghai, China

Nov 6-7 Road Pavements Forum (RPF), CSIR, Pretoria

2008

Apr 21-24 Second Transport Research Arena - Europe 2008. Ljubljana, Slovenia

May 11-14 International Conference: Managing Road and Runway Surfaces. Cheltenham, England

May 21-23 Eurasphalt & Eurobitume - 4th Congress. Bella Centre, Copenhagen

June 24-28 ICMPA 7th International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets. Calgary, Canada

July 27-29 1st International Sprayed Sealing Conference. Adelaide, South Australia

July 30-2 ARRB Conference. Adelaide, South Australia

Oct 20-24 6th Symposium on pavement surface characteristics. Organised by PIARC, Slovenia q

Resolutions adopted by the May 2007 meeting of the RoadPavements Forum

#1: That the CSIR implements technology transfer mechanisms by which relevant Californian pavement engineering solutions and/or experiences can be fed back to SA practitioners.

* * *

#2: That the AsAc review the format, duration and cost of its Flexible Pavement Engineering course and the most appropriate delivery method (modular, distance education etc.)

* * *

#3: That the RPF identify the necessity to establish Road Pavement Engineering as a registerable discipline in its own right, and to investigate this with the Engineering Council.

* * *

#4: That the RPF endorses the changes to TG1 as proposed by the RPF Task Group on modified binders, as well as the production and dissemination of the revisedguideline.

* * *

#5: That the RPF Task Group on Skills Development be resurrected under Les Sampson to pursue the materials testing skills scheme proposed by Barry Dumas and Dave Wright, and to report progress at future RPF meetings.

* * *

#6: That the RPF Task Group on cutback specifications under Johan Muller be tasked to revise the SANS 308 specifications for cutback bitumen.

* * *

#7: Acknowledging the importance of using RAP in HMA, the RPF tasks the Society for Asphalt Technology (SAT) to explore appropriate protocols for RAP to be incorporated into HMA, and to be further debated at CAPSA’07.

q

Events calendar 2007-08

12

Asphalt News is published by the Southern African Bitumen Association (Sabita), a non-profit organisationsponsored by its members to serve all stakeholders through engineering, service and education.

The contents of this publication may be reproduced free of charge, provided the source is acknowledged.

Southern African Bitumen Association, Postnet Suite 56, Private Bag X21, Howard Place 7450, South AfricaTel: +27 21 531 2718 Fax: + 27 21 531 2606 email: info@sabita.co.za www.sabita.co.za

Ordinary

AG Thomas (Pty) LtdA J Broom Road Products (Pty) LtdAkasia Road Surfacing (Pty) LtdAstec – Asphalt TechnologyBitumen Construction Services (Pvt) LtdBitumen Supplies & Services ccBlack Top Holdings (Pty) LtdBP Southern Africa (Pty) LtdBrisk Asphalt Surfacing (Pty) LtdChevron SA (Pty) LtdColas SA (Pty) LtdConcor Roads & EarthworksEngen Petroleum ltdJavseal (Pty) LtdMilling Techniks (Pty) LtdMore AsphaltMuch Asphalt (Pty) LtdNational Asphalt (Pty) LtdNyanga Roads (Pty) LtdPhambili Road Surfacing (Pty) LtdPolokwane Surfacing (Pty) LtdPower Construction (Pty) LtdRand Roads (a division of Grinaker-LTA Ltd)Roadmac Surfacing (Pty) LtdRoadsmart (Pty) LtdSasol Oil (Pty) LtdShell SA Marketing (Pty) LtdSpray Pave (Pty) LtdTarfix (Pty) LtdTarspray ccTosas (Pty) LtdTotal SA (Pty) LtdVan Wyk Tarmac ccZebra Bituminous Surfacing cc

Associate

Africon Engineering International (Pty) LtdAfrisam SA (Pty) LtdArcus Gibb (Pty) LtdAsch Professional Services (Pty) LtdBCP Engineers (Pty) LtdBeosumbar & AssociatesBKS (Pty) LtdCape Peninsula University of TechnologyDick King Lab Supplies (Pty) LtdGMH/CPP Consulting EngineersGoba (Pty) LtdHHO AfricaIliso Consulting (Pty) LtdJeffares & Green (Pty) LtdKantey & Templer (Pty) LtdKaymac (Pty) Ltd t/a KaytechLafarge South Africa LtdLidwala Consulting Engineers (SA) (Pty) LtdNinham Shand (Pty) LtdPD Naidoo & Associates (Pty) LtdRankin Engineering ConsultantsSasol Technology Fuels ResearchSasol Wax SA (a div of Sasol Chemical Industries)Siyenza Engineers ccSpecialised Road TechnologiesSSI Engineers & Environmental Consultants (Pty) LtdTPA Consulting ccTshepega Engineering (Pty) LtdUnitrans Fuel & Chemical (Pty) LtdVaal University of TechnologyVela VKE Consulting Engineers (Pty) LtdWSP SA Civil & Structural Eng (Pty) Ltd

Affiliate

DMV Harrismith (Pty) LtdMdubane Energy Services (Pty) LtdMTTC (Pty) LtdSalphalt (Pty) Ltd

Sabita membershipAugust 2007